VANCOUVER - A series sweep at home last week against Simpson has the UBC Thunderbirds leading the Cascade Conference, but this week they head out on the road for their toughest test of the season so far. The T-Birds will be in Caldwell from Friday through Sunday to take on the College of Idaho Coyotes, who are 19-8 overall this year and coming off a series split with 11th-ranked Lewis-Clark State.
No. 20 UBC Thunderbirds
2012 record: 17-6 overall, 10-2 Cascade Conference
Last Week: W 6-5, W 6-2, W 10-2, W 6-3 vs Simpson
Since losing their conference opener to Menlo, the T-Birds have been on a 10-1 run that has vaulted them into top spot in the conference. The offence has done most of the heavy lifting, with the team batting average up over .300 so far.
Leadoff man
Matt Spillman started the year strong and appears to be getting better as the season rolls on. He went 6-12 with six walks last weekend against Simpson, giving him a .338 average and a conference-leading .559 on-base percentage. To say that he's had a good eye at the plate would be an understatement, as the third-year shortstop is averaging better than a walk and a half per game.
Nick Senior leads the group in most offensive categories, with a .398 average, .688 slugging percentage and five homers. His 26 RBI tie him for second on the team with rookie
Jerod Bartnik, two off the pace of
Andrew Firth, who continues to find clutch hit after clutch hit for the 'Birds.
Firth, who is hitting .356 on the year, had one of the biggest hits of the series last week - a three-run double late in game four that ended up being the difference. He was 7-17 with seven RBI in the series.
But as good as the offence has been, the UBC pitching staff certainly can't be ignored either. Even with Miles Verwheel on the shelf due to injury,
Tavis Bruce and
David Otterman have been giving the 'Birds reliable starts all season, and senior starter
Danny Britton-Foster is coming off his best game in years, allowing just two runs while going the distance to pick up his second win.
Bruce leads the starting rotation with a 1.57 ERA, while Otterman is at 2.48 for the year. The one area of concern for the pair has been their high walk numbers, but if they can limit those free bases and Britton-Foster continues to build on his strong outing, the 'Birds have a formidable trio of starters to work with.
College of Idaho Coyotes
2012 record: 19-8 overall, 5-3 Cascade Conference
Last Week: W 10-9, L 4-0, L 7-1, W 9-6 at Lewis-Clark State
The Coyotes took three of four from Simpson to start conference play, and earned a split on the road against perennial powerhouse Lewis-Clark State last week, so they will be riding high heading into their first big home series of the season.
They are the top hitting team in the conference by a wide margin right now at .320 for the season, although they actually score less runs per game (7.72) than UBC (8.09). That has a lot to do with their aversion to walks, and while a .320 team average and more than seven runs per game are offensive numbers most teams would love to have, the T-Birds' patience and ability to get on base could end up being the difference in a series where both teams will face tougher pitching than they have been up against most of the season.
Jarel Lewis leads the conference with a .434 average and .750 slugging percentage. His fourth home run of the year was a three-run shot last weekend to help the Yotes edge LC State 10-9 in the series opener.
Isaac Garsez, Tanner Hodges and Zachary Fabricius round out a formidable four-headed offensive monster, each of them hitting better than .386 on the season. Hodges leads the team with 30 RBI and Garsez is dangerous on the basepaths, with 12 steals and a team-high 31 runs scored this year.
Fabricius is not only an offensive threat, but also one of the Yotes' top starters, sporting a 2.70 ERA and a 4-2 record in 40 innings of work. Chad Yeggy remains the ace of the staff, with a 5-0 record and 2.55 ERA in seven starts. He has walked just six batters in 42.1 innings this year.
Taylor Nicholson has made three starts as well as five relief appearances, but he's been effective either way, posting a 1.47 ERA in 36.2 innings.
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